The sound we perceive from the environment is the result of a remarkable series of events:
Outer ear
The sound moves through the auricle into the ear canal, impacts on the tympanic membrane and creates vibrations.
Middle ear
The vibrations from the tympanic membrane are transferred to the three ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes), which are the smallest bones of the human body. These vibrate and cause movement in the capillary cells of the inner ear.
Inner ear
The movement of the capillary cells transmits electrical pulses to the auditory center of the brain, through the acoustic nerve. This transforms them into sounds that the brain can recognize.